Researchers from the Ocean Census, an international initiative backed by Japan's Nippon Foundation and the Oxford-based charity Nekton, have identified more than 1,000 new marine species over the past year. The haul includes a chimaera (or 'ghost shark') found 800 metres deep in the Australian Coral Sea marine park, a carnivorous 'death ball' sponge discovered at 3,601 metres in the South Sandwich Islands, and a 'glass castle worm' living symbiotically inside a glass sponge at 791 metres. The discoveries highlight how little is known about the ocean, which covers 70 per cent of Earth but has yielded only 240,000 recognised species—against an estimated total of up to two million.

A ghost shark at 800m in the Coral Sea

One of the most striking finds is a type of chimaera, or ghost shark, pulled from waters more than 800 metres deep in the Australian Coral Sea marine park. Chimaeras are named after the mythical Greek beast because their bodies often appear stitched together from parts of other fish. The new specimen features translucent skin and glowing eyes, according to the Ocean Census report. This discovery adds to a growing list of deep-sea fish that rely on bioluminescence or extreme adaptations to survive in the pitch-black abyss.

A 'death ball' sponge with velcro hooks at 3,601m

In the sub-Antarctic South Sandwich Islands—an uninhabited chain of 11 volcanic islands—researchers encountered a 'death ball' sponge at a depth of 3,601 metres. This carnivorous creature uses velcro-like hooks to snare tiny crustaceans, which it then slowly digests.. The sponge's appearance and feeding mechanism are unusual even among predatory sponges, as the Ocean Census team noted. The South Sandwich Islands location underscores how remote and extreme habitats still hold biological surprises.

A glass castle worm's 791m symbiotic nest

Among the more peculiar discoveries is a 'glass castle worm' that lives inside the translucent skeleton of a glass spponge, 791 metres below the surface . The worm shelters itself within the sponge's structure in what appears to be a symbiotic relationship.. The Ocean Census report describes the worm as nestling within the sponge, though the exact nature of the exchange—whether the worm offers protection or cleaning in return for shelter—remains unclear. This find echoes other deep-sea symbiotic partnerships, such as those between chemosynthetic bacteria and tube worms at hydrothermal vents.

An estimated 2 million species, but only 240,000 known

Scientists believe the ocean may harbour up to two million species, yet only about 240,000 have been formally described. the Ocean Census programme, according to its director Oliver Steeds, aims to close that gap dramatically. 'We spend billions searching for life on Mars or going to the dark side of the moon,' Steeds said in the report. 'Discovering the majority of life on our own planet, in our own ocean, costs a fraction of that. The question is not whether we can afford to do this. It is whether we can afford not to.' The programme's rapid pace—1,121 species in one year—suggests that dedicated funding and international cooperation can accelerate biodiversity discovery significantly.

What remains unknown about the new species

While the Ocean Census has provided detailed descriptions of the ghost shark,death ball sponge, and glass castle worm, many questions linger. The exact ecological role of the chimaera in the Coral Sea is not yet studied, and the full life cycle of the carnivorous sponge remains undocumented. Moreover, the report does not specify how many of the 1,121 species are already known to local indigenous or fishing communities but new to science. As the Ocean Census continues its global sureys, the vast majority of the estimated two million ocean species—perhaps 1.76 million—still await discovery.